Federal ban on chemicals in street drug called bath salts

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Federal authorities on Friday issued a temporary ban on chemicals used in a new type of street drug known as bath salts, which is increasingly popular among teens.

The Drug Enforcement Administration took emergency action that makes possessing and selling these chemicals or products that contain them illegal in the United States.

"This emergency action was necessary to prevent an imminent threat to public safety," the DEA said in a statement.

Under the federal order, the chemicals used to make bath salts - mephedrone, methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) and methylone - are banned for at least one year.

Studies will then determine if the chemicals should be permanently banned.

The action places the chemicals on the DEA's most restrictive list, reserved for substances with high potential for abuse and not currently accepted use for treatment.

Bath salts are marketed with catchy names like "Ivory Wave," "Purple Wave," "Vanilla Sky," and "Bliss," and are comprised of chemicals that mimic the effects of drugs like cocaine and LSD, authorities said.

Bath salts, also sometimes sold as "plant food," are growing in popularity among young adults and teens. They are sold at tobacco shops, gas stations, convenience stores and online, according to the DEA.

The products are typically marked "not for human consumption" but are commonly snorted, swallowed or injected by users.

The retail products have not been approved by the federal regulators for human consumption or medical use.

Poison control centers, hospitals and police have been fielding an increasing number of calls about products containing the chemicals in bath salts, the DEA said.

Already, 37 states have taken steps to control or ban bath salts or other synthetic stimulants, the DEA said.